Perhaps the most important question we can ask is how to be at peace with God. We might ask the same question in other ways, such as, “How can I go to heaven?” or, “How can my sins be forgiven?” No matter how we ask it, the basic concern is what will happen to us after this life is over. Will God accept us or will He consign us to eternal punishment?
In answer to this question, almost all religions tell us to do good deeds. For example, the basic principle of the Law of Moses is, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” (Galatians 3:10, Deuteronomy 27:26) and, “The man who does them will live by them.” (Galatians 3:12, Leviticus 18:5)
The problem with this approach is that no one is capable of keeping a system of law perfectly. We all do what is wrong. We neglect to do what is right. We all sin. Some say that God will still accept us if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds. Even if this were true, how could we ever know if we have done enough to please God? How much evil will He excuse? But a deeper problem with this approach is that it has no means to remove the guilt we have incurred by doing wrong. God is perfectly just and holy. He cannot excuse any wrongdoing no matter how small it is. No, if we do something good, it is only what God expects of us. We can never do more good than we should. We are incapable of doing extra good deeds, in addition to the good we ought to already be doing, to compensate for the wrong we have done.
The basis of salvation in Christianity is entirely different. We are not saved because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done on our behalf. The sinless and perfect Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, the sinful and imperfect. That Christ has paid our debt is truly good news, for we are incapable of ever paying it on our own.
The book of Acts in the New Testament tells of how the Apostle Paul traveled from place to place telling people about this good news. Many accepted his teaching gladly and many churches came into existence because of this. One area where Paul preached the good news was the Roman province of Galatia which was located in the central part of the country we know today as Turkey. Unfortunately, not long after Paul left Galatia, others came and began to teach that in order to be a Christian, it is also necessary to obey the Law of Moses. In other words, the righteousness of Christ is not sufficient to save, our salvation also depends upon us obeying a list of rules.
Not only did these men teach a different doctrine of salvation, they tried to discredit Paul. They said that Paul was not an apostle of God. In other words, they claimed that Paul’s message was not from God, and he did not have authority to teach what he did.
To counteract these accusations and, more importantly, to reaffirm the gospel message which he had taught, Paul wrote a letter to the churches in Galatia. In his greeting Paul counters the accusations head-on:
“Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father – to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
The meaning of the word ‘apostle’ is ‘one who is sent.’ To those who claimed that Paul was speaking on his own, he reaffirmed that he was indeed sent. The message he preached was not his own. Paul further declared that he was not sent by any man. By saying this, Paul distanced himself from false apostles – those who are not appointed by God.
In contrast to false apostles, Paul writes that he was appointed directly by Jesus and by God. By linking Jesus and God, Paul demonstrates the oneness between them. To be chosen and commissioned by Christ is the same as being chosen and commissioned by God. Moreover, by referring to Christ’s resurrection, Paul is grounding his appointment as an apostle in history. No doubt he is referring to the incident recorded in the book of Acts, chapters 9, 22 and 26 where Paul encountered the risen Christ and was given his task. Jesus told him “…I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:16-18 NIV)
In his greeting to the Galatians, Paul mentions “ all the brothers who are with me.” This seems somewhat strange because Paul writes the letter in the first person and does not include others in the final greeting. If others contributed to the writing of the letter then why doesn’t Paul mention their names as he does in other letters? Though we cannot know for certain, here is one possibility: Though he was a long ways away from the area Paul was fully informed about the situation in the churches in Galatia. It is possible that the churches sent a delegation to Paul to tell him about the teachers who had come in, and to ask his advice. If this is the case, then it is probable that what Paul is saying is that his letter has the full endorsement of the delegation which had been sent to him. It is also probable that the letter was sent back to the churches by means of this delegation.
Paul prays that the churches experience grace and peace. One of the major themes of this letter is that peace and reconciliation with God comes through grace and not through keeping a law. It comes through Christ, not by righteous works which we perform.
In the next phrase of his greeting, Paul emphasizes that Jesus “ gave himself for our sins.” This is the heart of the gospel message which Paul preached. He further writes that, contrary to what the false teachers were saying, this means of rescuing us is according to God’s will.